Here’s Why Medium Will Be Curating Stories About Medium Soon
I’m starting to think they’re a little desperate
I love Kristina God. She’s a constant source of inspiration. Her Medium stories always provide us with new information and ideas. In her recent post “Medium Just Changed Its Code Of Curation — But Hasn’t Announced It Yet”, she is saying that Medium have changed their curation guidelines.
Let me tell you why I think this is true and let me give you the reason for this change.
Backstory
Joe Moody wrote a post about Medium. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? There are countless stories about Medium here. Mine included. What is striking about Joe’s story, however (other than the fact that it’s a great one), is the fact that his story got curated. And it’s not the only one of his that did.
If you know a thing or two about this platform, you know that Medium won’t curate stories about Medium. It’s stated right in their distribution guide.
The thing is this distribution guide is old. And it hasn’t been updated in a year. This is an indicator of some changes. It needs some changes, frankly. Because Medium folks don’t just violate this one rule. There are more violations.
The new distribution guidelines
Why would Medium start to curate stories about Medium? They’ve never done this. For good reason, I believe.
But it’s different now. Let me tell you why!
- Stories about Medium are freaking trending. Everyone writes about Medium. Everyone wants to read something about Medium. My last months were full of stories about Medium, and while I’ve not been curated a single time, my earnings have been up there with the highest ever. Some writers are getting tired of these types of Medium meta stories, but the truth is they’re trending because people read them.
- Medium wants referrals. The more obvious reason why Medium will distribute stories about Medium soon is the referral program. Medium wants new writers but more than that they want more paying members. Medium membership referrals are a perfect fit for stories about Medium. What better way to promote Medium than by writing about Medium and sharing your referral page at the end.
These are two reasons why I strongly believe that Medium will update the distribution guide very soon.
Want some more?
Medium editors are violating their own guide
There’s another reason why I think the distribution guide needs an update. Affiliate marketing. Let me explain!
In the guidelines, Medium notes you can’t use undisclosed affiliate links. They need to be disclosed. In a manner that’s in terms with the FTC. This is a general rule for web content.
You know which kinds of affiliate links are often undisclosed or not disclosed in a proper manner: The referral program links.
Medium’s referral program is nothing more than affiliate marketing. By using these links, we are practically selling Medium memberships. This needs to be properly disclosed. Otherwise, it’s a violation of Medium’s guide and a violation of FTC rules which can result in legal trouble.
Nevertheless, I see undisclosed membership referrals all the time. In curated stories too.
I still have questions
How will Medium incorporate its own affiliate marketing tools like the referral program into the distribution guide? How can we safely use and disclose these links? They need to update the guide with specific instructions on the referral links. I haven’t found specific instructions. I could be missing something. Do you know more?
Also: If Medium editors (or the auto-curation algorithm, for that matter) start curating and distributing Medium meta stories, how will this affect this platform? Stories about Medium already rub many writers the wrong way. If these get curated, they might get even more prominent here.
The bottom line
I agree with Kristina. The curation practices will change, the guide will be updated, and a part of this change has already happened in a beta phase, I’m sure. Joe Moody’s post is the first clue. He did give a great explanation on the why in the comments:
I think Joe might be right. Medium is starting to see the benefits of posts about Medium. As a way to instruct and help new writers, as a way to share news and changes quickly, and, most importantly, as a way to promote Medium memberships by praising the platform and sharing referral links.
One last desperate note
In my title, I wrote, “I’m starting to think Medium is a little desperate”. Usually, I’m optimistic. But these changes could also mean that Medium is desperately trying to gain more paying members.
I hope I’m wrong. I want this platform to succeed. But you’ll never know. The referral program, the curation of Medium meta stories, the cutting of funding for big publications and their subsequent closures, and the Medium Writers Challenge could mean that Medium executives are trying every little thing to keep this platform alive.
I like my optimism better though. I’m sticking with that for now. How about you?
P.S.: First of all, you should get my posts in your inbox. Do that here! Secondly, if you like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it supports us, writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your writing as well. When I started, I made $3000 in 6 months. By signing up with this link, you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won’t cost you more. If you do so, thank you a million times!
